


Keeper of the Trickster

by ProbablyARaccoon



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Aged-Up Character(s), Asexual Dipper Pines, Bonding, Eventual Romance, Human Bill Cipher, Love/Hate, M/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual Mabel Pines, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tags May Change, Teenage Dipper Pines, Triangle Bill Cipher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-09 23:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15278439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProbablyARaccoon/pseuds/ProbablyARaccoon
Summary: If he wants to shirk the blame,He'll have to invoke my name.One way to absolve his crime.A different form, a different time.For a solid few minutes, all existence was free from Bill's tyranny.  Then something brought Stan's memories back, something that hadn't been trying to fix the human at all, but allow a certain demon one more chance.If Bill wanted to stay alive, he'd have to hang tight and accept whatever fate gave him. Even if that fate was a large dose of karma smacked right in his eyeball. Redemption is a long, cold road...And it's even worse when you're dragged along that road by one of the very people who put you there. Dipper, on the other hand, just wants to get his life started.





	1. A Different Form, a Different Time

**Author's Note:**

> I know this sort of thing must have been done a million times by now, but I love a good love-hate story. Especially when it's between everyone's favorite pine tree and evil dorito! Not sure how far this will go, so I'm just winging it for now.

Dipper stared at the pen marks etched into his palm. He squinted, trying to read past the smudges. He couldn’t tell if the note was a math equation from his last class, or a history quote jotted down for tomorrow. He either needed to invest in more notebook paper, or work on his handwriting. Sighing, he swiped his hand against his jeans and turned to open his locker.

The last rush of students marched behind him, a few bodies brushing against him in their haste to get out of the halls for the day. Lockers slammed shut as his rattled open. Dipper stood there, waiting for the crowds to thin and the noise to calm. Briefly, he wondered where his sister was, and stole a glance over at the sticker-covered locker beside him.

He shoved his books away, kicking the papers that tumbled out of his locker back in. He noted that he’d have to bring a trash bag tomorrow. Unlike the previous year, Dipper wouldn’t be returning to this locker after the summer, so he couldn’t put off the clean-up anymore. He reached for a pen tossed in a pile of papers and wrote ‘trash bag’ over the previous smudge on his palm. He followed it with ‘math final’ underneath, to remind himself what to study for that night.

Really, he should have been happy. High school was almost over, his grades were passable, and he was going back to Gravity Falls soon. He did every summer, but this time he was going to stay - to continue his Grunkle Ford’s work like he always dreamed. But Mabel wasn’t going to be with him. The days ticking down to graduation were all the time he had left with her, before she went on to college in Southern California. And he couldn’t even enjoy it because of these damn finals.

Dipper huffed and picked at his fingernails. It was funny, really. In middle school, Mabel dreaded the idea of the two being separated. She dreaded it so much, it nearly caused the end of life as they knew it. Now, as their high school career was drawing to a close, she seemed a little too eager to fly off and leave him. He bit his tongue. No, she deserved to move on with her life, wherever that life lead her. He just wished that life would have been a little closer to Gravity Falls and their adventures.

While Dipper was lost in his thoughts, the halls emptied. Some stragglers remained, teachers passing through and a group of boys that lingered nearby. He could hear their crude jokes, and caught himself grinning at one. He could also hear the slow dribbling of a basketball.

“Hey, Pine Tree! What’re you doin’ here! Thought you'd be hunting some bathroom ghosts before school ends! Or are you gonna break in again?”

Dipper’s grin faded. He rolled his eyes and scooted closer to his locker, suddenly interested in the frame Mabel made for the mirror at the back. The smiling sun sticker in the corner was starting to peel off. He reached in and tried to smooth it down.

“Nah, he's hunting bigfoot.”

“He should be hunting his virginity!”

The boys choked on their laughter, as though their jokes were new. It was all the same. The same taunts, same rumors, same _damn nickname_. At least the name was solely based on Pines, and not a certain supernatural phenomenon. Just showed how original his peers were.

The bouncing stopped and Dipper began to look over his shoulder.

Something pulsed.

The air rippled around the lockers; everything tripled and blurred. Colors smeared as time came to a crawl.

Dipper blinked. He looked down, flipped his hands over to see that they remained unchanged. No smears of color, no drag in his movement. Whatever was happening, he was unaffected. Perhaps he had finally cracked under the stress and was going nuts.

He knitted his brows and turned around, spotting the basketball spinning in place behind him. He ran a fingertip over it, feeling the bumps crawl under his touch - undisturbed in its slow rotation.

One of the boys was stuck in mid-throw, arms outstretched with a dumb look plastered on his face. His buddies stood around him, caught in their sneers.

“Well...This is new.”

He ran a hand through his messy mop of hair, carding it back as he tried to make sense of what he was looking at.

“Dipper Pines, we meet again!”

From the other side of the hall, a giant creature popped into view. It flowed into the hall, swaying its tail and frills as it moved. The fluorescent light shined off its pink skin, putting off a glittering effect as it moved into place before Dipper. A tongue poked out of its mouth. Its call had been jovial and fond; and its beady eyes and squishy-looking physique weren't exactly threatening, but that didn't stop Dipper from throwing himself back against his locker.

“AAHHHHH!”

All sense of calm confusion faded, leaving him sweaty, pale, and crumpled against his locker door. The dingy metal didn't budge under his weight. He swallowed, eyed the creature again, and sucked in another deep breath for another scream.

“Woah, woah, woah! Don't panic on my account, Dipper. I assure you I'm not nearly as frightening as I look.” The creature added a chuckle under his tone, amused despite his face fixed in a blank stare.

“You’re…?”

“I'm the Axolotl.”

“Axolotl...And we've met before?”

“Yes!”

There were some adventures from that first summer that Dipper couldn't completely recall anymore. But he was pretty sure none of them featured a massive, talking, and brightly colored amphibian. He opened his mouth for another question, yet was cut off.

“Back to business! I have a favor to ask of you, boy.” He wriggled his tongue, and a small rift opened beside him. “Catch!”

A sudden weight fell against Dipper’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around it to keep it from bouncing off. His fingers met cool glass, and he instantly recognized it as a jar. Cautiously pulling it away from him, he studied the object. At first, he didn't see anything except his fingerprint smudges. He brought it up closer, peering into it.

A small triangle turned to the side, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. A large eye rolled up to acknowledge the teen.

“Hiya, Pine Tree! Long time no see!”

Dipper jolted, biting back a scream as the jar jiggled in his hold. He nearly dropped it.

“Well aren't you a sight for sore eye! And here I was thinking you’d stay a little ankle biter forever! Time sure does fly by.”

“I--What...What!” Dipper stuttered and stumbled over every sound he made in his attempt to make sense of everything. He stared down at the jar, then up at the Axolotl, and back down at the jar. It was a wonder he didn't get whiplash. “This is--"

“Bill Cipher.”

“The one and only!”

“Why?!”

Dipper looked down at Bill, taking in his small size. He floated calmly, staring up at him, every bit the nightmare he was when Dipper was twelve. Yet, he looked pretty harmless in that jar. Dipper gingerly spun it in his fingertips, and found the zodiac scribbled on the side in sharpie.

Bill continued to stare at him, remaining in the same position even as Dipper moved the jar around.

“Redemption, Dipper,” the Axolotl stated, watching the teen and allowing him a moment to collect himself. “He invoked my name before his death, and I listened.” He tilted his head down, seeming to stare into the jar. “Fate could only tell when and how he’d get his second chance. And I believe this is it.”

“O-Okay. So why here,” Dipper shrugged one shoulder, gesturing with one hand off the jar. “Why now?”

Axolotl lazily floated to his back, his short arms dangling in the air as his blank, beady eyes focused on Dipper. “Ah, who is to say? Years as a mote of stardust can bring just about anyone to their knees.” He blinked. “However, he cannot be left to his own devices. Not yet, anyway.”

“Uh, okay. So why don’t _you_ keep him?” Dipper tilted the jar in the amphibian’s direction.

“Oh no, no, no!” Axolotl opened his mouth just slightly to laugh. “I only have nine hundred and ninety-four years until Time Baby reassembles. I’m gonna need all my energy for _that_. Trust me, Dipper. You’re getting the easy side of the stick.”

“I take offense to that! I’m plenty more of a handful than that baby!”

For once, Dipper had to agree with the triangle.

“You know, I could just say no. I mean, I don’t even know you,” he gestured to the jar, “this guy is like my worst enemy, and I have a lot going on right now, man. I can’t...C’mon, I can’t do this.” He shot Axolotl a half smile. Years of experience with weird monsters led him to being far too confident talking to them. Or perhaps it wasn’t confidence - just stupidity from thinking he’d seen it all.

“I see.”

“I uh, I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather just pretend Bill is still dead.”

“Rude.” Bill rolled a glare towards Dipper, hands on his non-existent hips.

Axolotl gave what could only be a deep sigh as he calmly rolled over to his original position. “I suppose we’ll have to do this the hard way. How unfortunate.” He continued before Dipper had the chance to question him, “Do you recall the events after Bill Cipher’s supposed destruction? The memories your great uncle lost?”

“Yes.” Dipper gripped the jar a little tighter.

“Dipper, have you ever stopped to consider how he recovered those memories?” Again, he cut Dipper off before he could answer. “And don’t say Mabel’s scrapbook. Though, I suppose if you want to save her ego, it did help.” The Axolotl started to roll in place again. “However, it certainly wasn’t the cure.”

When Dipper didn’t try to speak, he went on. “When Bill called for my power, I granted that call at his future expense.” He paused. “I took pity on Stan, Dipper. I could have left your uncle where he was, scrabbling for meaning with a family he could not remember.” He inched closer to Dipper’s face. “But I didn’t, for nothing in return.”

“Until now.”

“I could take that pity away. Right now. Stanley won’t know what hit him. Won’t know anything at all.”

Dipper narrowed his gaze. Axolotl’s face never changed, barely blinked, and that made the young man seethe. This creature could go from pleasant to threatening with no tell, not even a dip in his voice. If the subject wasn’t so serious, Dipper might have thought Axolotl was bluffing.

“We have a deal then?”

“It’s hardly a deal when you’re blackmailing me.”

“All subjective, my boy.” The glint of humor was back in Axolotl’s voice as he moved away from Dipper.

“This is all fine and good, but what about _me_! Hello? Triangle guy trapped in a stupid jar? Would really like to be let out now!” Bill pushed against the front of the glass, unable to do anything but peer out of his prison.

“Wouldn't Ford be a better fit for this?” Dipper's only response to Bill was to put his hand in front of him, effectively hiding him and keeping him quiet.

“You look at Stanford and tell me he has the patience for Bill _and_ Stanley.”

Dipper sighed heavily. “All right, fine. I don't exactly have a choice, do I?”

“Wonderful! Hold up your right arm, please.”

Dipper raised a brow before he hesitantly lifted said arm, bent at the elbow.

Pink, glowing chains shot down from an unseen entry point above the Axolotl. They snaked around his wrist and forearm, holding so tight to his skin he felt their heat on his bones. Dipper grit his teeth and instinctively tried to pull back, if only to keep his balance. The chains kept him in place, however, only burning hotter the more he struggled. He watched as one chain slithered off his arm and down to the jar.

It phased through the glass and right through Bill himself, disappearing right at his bowtie. The process didn’t seem to bother the demon, which Dipper thought was incredibly unfair while he swore he could smell his flesh burning.

As quickly as it started, it was over. The chains unraveled and retracted, then popped out of existence with a puff of smoke that made Dipper cough. Between huffs, he risked a look at his arm, inspecting it. He grimaced, expecting some sort of series of rune-laced symbols permanently etched into his skin. Something hideous and obvious and disappointing to his parents.

What he saw was...A triangle.

A simple outline of a triangle, centered on his wrist and fairly harmless. Dipper blinked down at it, then looked over his arm again, convinced there was something else to it. Yet...No. There were no other marks or burns, no sign of Axolotl’s influence. He turned his attention back to his wrist, and watched the triangle flash a muted pink.

“The bond is sealed!” Axolotl raised up and tilted his mouth open.  “Bill Cipher can no longer travel farther than,” he lowered himself. “Let’s see...A hundred yards away from you? Give or take. Human math is confusing.”  

“Wait, so he can’t--”

“You have my full gratitude, Dipper Pines!” Axolotl inched closer again, this time addressing Bill. His eyes slanted down in a stern gaze, and it was an uncomfortable contrast from his usual beady, blank expression. “You may always be watching, but I’m always watching _you_ , Cipher. This is your only chance. You begged for my mercy, do not make me regret it.”

“Heard loud and clear, Frills.” Bill rolled his eye.

“How long is this going to take?!”

“Possibly forever.”

“ _W_ _hat?_ ”

“Fate is in your hands, Dipper. The rest is up to you.” He nosed the spinning basketball, moving it an inch to the side.

Axolotl began to back off, seeming to be about to leave as his eyes flashed a sharp pink that matched his frills.. A large rift opened behind him, so large it clipped into the walls and ceiling. “Oh, and be careful when you let him out,” Axolotl rushed to add. “He might be a tad angry.”

With that, the creature disappeared, glittering frills and all, leaving no trace of his presence behind except for Bill Cipher and Dipper’s new tattoo. Time slowly rolled to a start; colors sharpened and focused. The basketball flew past Dipper’s head, bounced off Mabel’s locker, and nailed the teen who threw it in the face.

The next several minutes were a blur to Dipper as he threw his things in his backpack, then headed out the door and to his car. He climbed into the driver’s seat and tossed his things to the passenger side - including the dream demon’s jar. Staring ahead, he gripped the steering wheel with a loud breath.

“What just happened?”

“You made a deal with the Axolotl himself! Lucky you, Pine Tree!” Bill leaned casually against the class. “Sooo, long time no see! How’ve you been, kid? Still having those fun little nightmares about me?”

“I think I’m going to throw up.”


	2. Should Have Left Him in the Jar

Dipper sat on the floor in the middle of his room, staring at the jar placed before him. He stared at the tiny demon inside, and said demon stared right back. He hadn’t noticed before, but there were air holes punched in the lid. Considering Bill didn’t need to breathe, it seemed more for his humiliation than anything else. Outside, crickets chirped, providing the only noise in the room.

Downstairs, the sound of the front door opening and closing shook Dipper out of his thoughts. He followed the footsteps through the living room, up the stairs, and towards the bedroom door. Mabel bounded inside and dropped her bag at the door.

“Sorry I’m home so late! This one girl in our study group wanted to go over a whole bunch of chapters again and it was totally--”

“Mabel!” Dipper snatched the jar up and stumbled to his feet. He hid the demon in his arms, only letting the lid poke out from his grasp. “Mabel, do you remember that whole Weirdmageddon thing that happened the first time we went to Gravity Falls?”

“Oh god, Dipper, please _.  _ Not this again! I  _ just  _ managed to repress half those memories.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Well get ready to re-repress them, because look at this!” He presented her with the jar, shoving it at her in his panic.

“Shooting Star! I’m running into  _ all _ the old faces today!”

Mabel yelped and flinched away.

“Triangles! Bubbles! Kitten man! Dippy Fresh!  _ Dippy Fresh! _ ” She grasped at her face, refusing to look at Bill again. Dipper could practically see the images that flashed before her eyes. She pulled at her long hair, clutched her sweater at the chest. Finally, after a solid minute, she glanced back down at the demon.

“Dipper! What is this?!” She turned her disbelief on her brother.

“I don’t know, okay! This giant fish called the Axolotl suddenly appeared at school and stopped time and threw this triangle at me and then told me I had to pretty much oversee his ‘redemption’ or he’d wipe Grunkle Stan’s mind again! He like, saved Bill from getting erased all those years ago, and this is his punishment or something?”

“Jeez, kid. Take a breath before you pass out. Or don’t! That would be hilarious!”

“So it’s really him?” She tapped on the glass. “It’s weird seeing him in reality again. Is he gonna go back to the dreamscape?” She looked up at Dipper.

“I don’t think so...There’s this bond thing, so he’s pretty much glued to me.” He grimaced.

“Why would I want to be in a dream when you’re right here, Shooting Star?” Bill shot a finger gun at her, with a blink that was obviously meant to be a wink.

Mabel put a hand to her mouth, unable to suppress a giggle. “Oh Bill, you flatterer!” She waved him off playfully, before she came to her senses and dropped her smile. “Wait, no!” She put her hands on her hips. “What sort of trick did you pull to get my brother dragged into this?”

“Oh, you give me too much credit.” He shrugged.

Mabel pouted, eyeing the demon critically. “Well...I guess this is okay then.”

“What! This is the same guy who trapped you in a bubble, who terrorized the town, tortured Ford, and almost destroyed our dimension! He was going to kill one of us! And that was just  _ one _ of our run-ins with him! He's an evil demon who--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know! I'm not thrilled about it either, but what's there to do? If we know anything about deals with demons, it's that you can't weasel your way out of it! Not without serious property damage and potential maiming, anyway. You're just gonna have to figure your way through this.” Mabel risked another look at Bill. “Besides, he’s so tiny and cute, Dipper. What harm could he possibly do if a little glass jar can hold him?”

“He stole my body and threw it down the stairs!” Dipper turned and sat back down in his spot, faced away from Mabel. The jar was set in front of him again, where he could stare at it despondently.

“I stole that body fair and square, Pine Tree!”

"You tricked me into the deal!”

“Yeah, you sure do get tricked into a lot of deals.”

Behind him, he heard Mabel step over to him. She bent down and placed a hand on his shoulder, while her hair brushed against the top of his head. “Don’t worry, Dipper,” she said, patting him a couple times. “You’ll be back in Gravity Falls next week, which is like, the best place for this sort of thing.”

“I wish you were coming with me…”

“I do too, Dip.” Mabel sighed, opening her mouth to say something else, yet closed it. They had had this conversation several times, since her grant was accepted back in March. It had delved into half-hearted protests and arguments, until finally it turned into begrudged acceptance. Neither of them liked the change.

“Hey, why don't you try calling Grunkle Ford tomorrow?” Mabel perked up, and so did Dipper. “He might have some advice.” She took her hand back to shrug.

“Yeah,” Dipper turned to look up at her, “He might know something about the Axolotl--"

“Pine Tree! Again! Triangle guy in the jar!” Bill gestured to himself with both thumbs, having lost his interest in the room around him, as well as his patience. “Could you let me out already?”

“How do I know you're not going to try for a Weirdmageddon Two?” Dipper glared down at him.

“Obviously I don't have much power right now. If I did, do you think I'd still be stuck in this  _ Mason’s jar _ ?”

Both twins stared at him.

“Get it? ‘cause your real name is--"

“Yes.”

“Haaa, I get it!” Mabel drew out a slow laugh, nudging a very unamused Dipper with her elbow.

“Mabel.”

“Right, sorry.” Mabel stood up straight, holding her hands up apologetically yet still had a smirk on her face. “Anyway! I got a date tonight,” she proudly claimed while turning for the door. “Gonna meet her at the movie theater, so I'm outta here.” She clutched the doorknob as she walked out, about to shut it before she stopped and addressed the boys one more time. “Don't you two kill each other, you rascals!”

“No promises,” was the answer she got from both of them as she closed the door behind her.

Dipper glared down at Bill, who now sat at the bottom of the jar with his arms crossed.

Bill glared back.

“If I let you out, are you going to try to rip my fingernails off?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay. Good night.” Dipper grabbed one of his t-shirts that had been left on the floor and tossed it over the jar. He started to get up.

“Wait! No!”

Dipper stopped and took the shirt away. “If you behave, I'll let you out. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Dipper hesitated a moment, before he sat up on his knees and grabbed the jar. He could feel Bill’s eye on him as he slowly unscrewed the lid, like he was opening Pandora’s Box. Just as he lifted it, a force pushed him back and nearly knocked the container right out of his hand.

“Ha! Free at last!” Bill triumphantly flew up near the ceiling, now at his normal size and able to stretch his limbs. He glanced at the open window, then back down at Dipper. “It's been real nostalgic, Pine Tree,” he tipped his top hat, “But I got better places to be!”

Dipper watched, dumbfounded, as Bill shot to the window and out of the room. The teen still held the jar and lid, mouth hung open while he sat frozen.

He might have stayed like that, if seconds later he didn't feel a tug on his arm. The triangle on his wrist flashed pink just as an unseen force began to drag him towards the window by his arm. He did his best to keep his legs under him, yet slipped and smacked against the wall under the window.

It felt like fishing line was wrapped around his wrist, and growing tighter with each inch Bill moved away from him. That was exactly what it looked like, too, as the connection between them began to give off a pink glow. The line dug into his skin. He grit his teeth against it and clutched his other hand on the frame, trying to keep from getting dragged right out the window. A fall from the second story wouldn't be pleasant.

Dipper strained as there was a sharp tug, and suddenly he was halfway outside with the sill digging into his thigh. Though he couldn’t see him, he knew the demon was pulling against the hold, proving to be far stronger than Dipper gave him credit for. The teen screwed his eyes shut, took a moment to gather his strength, and yanked back into the room with all his might.

“Get...Back in here!”

He could feel the line snap, and suddenly there was a triangle crashing into him.

If Dipper underestimated Bill’s strength, then he definitely underestimated his weight. For a simple, floating shape, the guy was pretty damn heavy. The two tumbled back into the room and to the floor, with Bill bouncing right off Dipper’s chest. They landed in a heap, both groaning and cursing.

Dipper shoved him off as he sat up, looking at his right wrist. He hissed between his teeth as he rubbed at the skin, feeling residual pain despite there being no injury to feel. The ache remained, no matter how hard he tried to rub it away. When he realized it was a futile effort, he turned his frustration on Bill.

“Dammit! What does ‘cannot travel away from me’ mean to you, dude!”

“I had to try at least once.” Bill dusted himself off and straightened his bowtie, before he floated up off the floor. “Axolotl’s bond is stronger than I thought. Figured it’d break from the strain, or you’d fall.” He looked to the window again, holding a hand under his eye in thought.

“Fall?”

“No Pine Tree, no bond.”

Dipper smacked his face into his hands. “If I die because of you, then I’m pretty sure Axolotl will just scatter you across the dimensions!”

Bill’s eye widened. The kid had a point.

Dipper got to his feet, a little wobbly from the rough landing. Nevermind the fact that Bill just tried to kill him, he tried to do it in the worst way possible. “It’s only a two-story house! At best, I’d break an arm!”

There came a creak from downstairs.

“I--"

“Shhh!”

Dipper raised a hand, gesturing for Bill to stay quiet. And to his surprise, the triangle did.

“Dipper, is everything okay, honey?” Came his mom’s voice from the bottom of the stairs.

“Uh...Yeah!” He side-eyed Bill. “Everything is fine!”

“What was all that noise?”

It took Dipper an uncomfortable amount of time to think of an excuse. There came another creak, and he knew his mom was starting to climb the stairs.

“Waddles! Waddles tried to eat my homework again.” He prayed the pig wasn't downstairs with his parents.

“Oh...Okay.”

One more creak, then silence. The hum of the living room tv grew a little louder and his father barked with laughter. Dipper waited a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief. He rubbed his hands over his face, and when he looked back up Bill was giving him a very disappointed look. For a guy with just one eye and no mouth, he certainly was expressive.

“I take it you're not going to introduce me?” Bill crossed his arms. “That's very impolite, Pine Tree.”

His smart tone gave away his lack of seriousness, but Dipper humored him. Either way, it was an important subject. “My parents have  _ no  _ idea what's been going on in Gravity Falls. It's all just haunted houses and ouija boards to them, and that's how I'd like it to stay.”

Bill contemplated his words with a hum. “So what's stopping me from going down there and showing off my pretty self?”

Nothing. Nothing was stopping Bill from wreaking havoc just by existing. Dipper knew that, and he had no argument against it. He couldn't stop him from trying to escape. He couldn't do anything. He had no leverage, no power; all he did was hold the leash.

Was it too late to put Bill back in the jar?

“What personal gain would you get from giving my parents a heart attack?”

“Eh, it’d be worth a few laughs.”

The blank, stunned stare on Dipper’s face morphed to a scowl.

Bill cackled. “The look on your face is absolutely priceless, kid!” His laugh rang loud and mocking, before it eventually decreased to small chuckles. “Ah, you’re adorable. All right, I’ll let the old meatsacks keep their ignorance. I owe ya one, anyway.”

“...You do?”

“Yeah, dealing with that pretentious fish for all eternity would have gotten real old, real fast. You’re horrible, but that guy would have talked my ears off if I had them!”

“Wait, you know the Axolotl?” Dipper couldn’t keep the excitement and desperation out of his voice. “What sort of demon is he?”

“He’s no demon, kid. He’s a deity. A real goody two-shoes one, too.” Bill rolled his eye.

“Considering he threatened me into doing this, I have a hard time believing that.”

“A human’s sense of good and a god’s sense of good are two completely different things, Pine Tree.”

A silence filled the room, interrupted only by the soft noise of Dipper’s parents watching tv downstairs. In that time, a million questions flew through the teen’s head. Several of which he could ask Bill, right there and then. Where had he been the last six years? Were his powers gone forever? What history did he have with Axolotl, and what had he done to deserve to be given a second chance?

Dipper looked back up at Bill.

He remembered who he was dealing with, and realized he just didn’t care.

“I’m going to bed,”

On the way, he shut and locked the window. He didn’t need to be yanked out of bed at three am because the demon wanted to give escaping another shot. He didn’t even bother to shower or change out of his school clothes. Even if he wanted to, he didn’t trust Bill to not invade his privacy or destroy his room while his back was turned.

Collapsing onto his bed, Dipper buried his face in the pillow. After a moment, he turned his head to see Bill staring at him from the center of the room. “You can find a drawer to sleep in or something.”

“I don’t sleep.”

“Wonderful. Good night.”

He reached over and clicked the lamp off.


	3. Bill's Out for Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the hardest time with this chapter, oh my god. Fortunately it's the last chapter to have anything to do with school. We're finally going to Gravity Falls in the next one! also random title change

The following morning, Dipper awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Blinking against the sunlight, he looked up to find Bill Cipher at the side of his bed, floating above him in his normal size. The triangle stared down at him, ominous despite not actually doing anything threatening.

“AH!”

“Good morning to you too, sleepyhead!”

Dipper groaned and rubbed at his face with both hands, trying to force his heart to stop racing. “How long have you been there?”

“Do you  _ really _ want to know?”

“No.” He dropped his hands and stared up at the ceiling. More finals were scheduled for that day, more reviews and teachers telling him how important college would be. More students around him planning graduation parties and deciding what to do over the summer. It was strange knowing this was the last week of high school for him. No classes to sign up for, no new schedule to pick up in a couple months. For him, there was nothing but Gravity Falls and its neverending mysteries in his future.

“Sleep well, kid?”

Oh, right...Gravity Falls  _ and  _ Bill Cipher in his future. “Yeah,” he sighed, turning his gaze to Bill. “What did you do while I was asleep?” His tone wasn't curious, it was accusing.

“Nothing but this, Pine Tree.” He floated up and down for emphasis.

Dipper narrowed his eyes. “Really?”

“Promise!”

A sudden knock at the bedroom door stole the teen’s attention. “Dipper, are you still in bed? You're gonna be late!” Mabel rapped on the door a couple more times for good measure before she headed down the stairs.

“What…?” He looked to his alarm clock, which he finally realized had not gone off that morning. He had fifteen minutes to get up and out the door. “Fuck!” He threw his covers back and jumped out of bed.

“Oh, was that important? I figured you could use the extra sleep.” Bill shrugged innocently, before drifting down to sit on the edge of the bed. He quietly watched Dipper, eye half-lidded, as the kid scrambled around the room.

“Bill!” The teen took a moment to angrily address the demon, who just shrugged at him again. He growled, snagged some clothes off the floor, his shoes, and his backpack before he dashed out and into the bathroom across the hall. 

After a couple minutes of him noisily rushing to dress himself, Dipper ran out with his hair half-brushed, one shoe untied, and his backpack thrown over one shoulder. He jumped down the stairs two at a time, and was greeted by his parents in the kitchen.

“There you are! You must have been exhausted last night.” His mom caught him long enough to pop a piece of toast in his mouth. “Mabel got a ride from one of her friends.”

“Mhm,” Dipper mumbled around the food, searching for his car keys.

“By the way, do you know what happened to all the family pictures?”

Dipper whipped around to look at his mom, then ducked out of the kitchen to get a glimpse of the pictures hanging on the walls. Some were turned upside down, and a couple had mustaches drawn over the faces. The large family photo in the living room had a one-eyed triangle drawn above twelve year-old Dipper’s head.  

He groaned and took the toast out of his mouth. “I'll fix all that when I get home,” he promised as he found his keys on the table - right where he always put them. On the way out, he slung his arm over his mom's shoulders in a one-armed hug, and waved to his dad.

His father waved back from the kitchen table, then reached for the salt. He tipped it over his eggs, and the entire contents poured out.  Blinking, the man stared down at the tiny mountain of salt that now covered his breakfast.

Dipper shut the door behind him before he could discover any more of Bill's pranks.

He slid into the driver's seat, taking a moment to get a stick of gum out from the console. “You know, I'm almost disappointed.”

“I'll try harder next time.” A tiny Bill popped out from Dipper’s jacket hood. It wasn't clear when he had made his way in there, but all his quiet snickering had alerted Dipper to his presence. “I gotta say, your parents are impressively naive.”

Dipper pulled away from the curb, popping his gum as he turned the car towards the school. “You have no idea, man. One summer I came back home and accidentally unleashed some ancient viking poltergeist. Took me and Mabel two months to get him out of the house, and our parents had no idea.”

Bill chuckled, and the two fell into a somewhat-comfortable silence. Dipper reached over and  turned on the radio.

After he pulled into his parking spot, he sat back and looked to the little demon sitting on his shoulder. Bill looked so damn harmless like that, content with just watching the kids pass by the car. Dipper had to force himself to remember who this was, and how conniving he had been and could still be. “Are you, like...Stuck in that form? Or can you shapeshift into something a little less noticeable?”

“What you see is what you get, kid. Some of my abilities will come back gradually, but right now this is it.” He poked Dipper’s cheek. “I take it this gorgeous form offends you?”

Dipper tilted his head away from Bill’s touch.“Yes. People don't need to see me with some living illuminati icon hanging off my jacket, so stay hidden and  _ quiet _ .” Dipper wanted nothing more than to leave Bill in the car, or stick him in his locker for the day. The leash, however, wouldn't allow it. The triangle on his wrist burned at the thought.

“What's in it for me?”

“I won't shove you back in the jar.”

“Deal.”

By the time Dipper got inside, the halls were empty save for a few trickles of students heading into their classes. He followed after a couple girls walking into his math class, caught the door and hurried to his seat.

The teacher eyed the late students, particularly Dipper, yet she didn't say a word. Instead, she cleared her throat and directed everyone to clear their desks for the final. She handed a small pile of papers to the students sitting in the front row, and turned to her desk as they were passed down.

Dipper, sitting at the back, let his test plop down in front of him. He stared at the complex calculus questions printed on both sides, and felt a cold chill run down his face.

“I forgot to study,” he whispered, putting his forehead in his palm. Around him, he could hear the scribbles of pencils as his peers got to work. He rubbed at his forehead before he took another look at the test. Fortunately, the teacher had been merciful and made it all multiple choice. Unfortunately, that didn't make the questions any less difficult.

Tentatively, he picked up his pencil and began to work through the first problem. He was starting to feel a little confident, until he realized the answer he got wasn't one of the choices. He huffed under his breath and erased half of his work, then circled B since it was the closest to what he got.

“Hold up, you did it wrong. The answer is D.”

Dipper's pencil drifted to that answer, before he paused and considered the little voice by his ear.

“And since you're gonna mess it up anyway, the next one is A.”

He risked a look at Bill, who was clinging to his shoulder and half-hidden under this jacket hood. “Yeah, I don't think so. Nice try.”

“Kid, I'm over a trillion years old. I know everything about anything,” he almost sounded offended. “Just trust me!”

Dipper hesitated again, weighed his options, and scribbled a circle over the answers Bill gave him.

The teacher gave him a wide-eyed look as he stood at her desk, handing her his completed test. She glanced at the clock, then at the rest of the class who were all still working. Dipper gave her a nervous smile as she eyed the sheet in her hand and flipped it over to see the other side. An expression of concern flashed over her face.

Before she could comment, Dipper hurried back to his seat. A couple students stared at him before they went back to their work.

As the time passed, more teens stood and handed their tests over. The teacher, who had set Dipper's to the side, piled the rest up before she took out a red pen. After a moment, she stood and discreetly placed the paper on Dipper's desk.

Every answer was marked wrong. Zero percent was written and circled at the top, with ‘See me after class’ added next to it.

“Bill!” His harsh whisper was swallowed by the idle chatter from the students around him.

“That's what you get for trusting me, Pine Tree!” Bill cackled before he vanished into Dipper's hood.

“Great…”

When the bell rang, Dipper stayed seated while everyone else filed out of the classroom. He watched the teacher file the tests away in an overstuffed binder, and stood only when she motioned for him to come up to her desk.

“Is everything okay, Dipper?”

The question was much more gentle than he expected, or thought he deserved. “Yeah, Mrs.Hernandez. I'm sorry.”

“I don't understand...You're never late, and you never fail my assignments. What happened?” She gestured to the red-covered test in Dipper's hand. “It's almost like someone else filled out that test.”

Dipper cringed at how close she was to the truth. “I...I don't know.” His attention fell down to his shoes and he noticed one was still untied.

Mrs.Hernandez took a moment to consider Dipper's disheveled appearance - his messy hair, bags under his eyes, pen marks on his hands. She sighed and opened her hand, silently asking for his test back. He complied, and to his surprise she tore it in half.

“Here's what's going to happen, Dipper,” she said as she leaned over to toss the trash in the basket next to her desk. “You're going to come back here after school, and I'll let you retake the final.”

Dipper perked up and met her gaze. “Really?”

"You get  _ one  _ more chance, Dipper. Whatever you get, you're stuck with. So you better do some studying. Understood?”

“Yes...Yes, thank you!” He breathed out a sigh of relief, and swore he could hear Bill pout and grumble. As students from her next class began to pour in, he hurried towards the door. “I really appreciate it, Mrs.Hernandez!”

“You're welcome.” She spared him another glance. “And tie your shoe!”

Fortunately for Dipper, Bill sulked through his next class. He had half a mind to taunt him, but decided that keeping the little demon grumpy was best as long as it meant he stayed quiet. By the time lunch rolled around, Bill seemed to be a little more talkative.

“So where's that sister of yours, kid?”

“She's an aide for one of her teachers, so probably somewhere making copies or something.” Dipper settled in a quiet spot outside, taking a seat on the concrete in the shade of the building. He pulled out his math book.

“Shooting Star isn't as glued to you as she used to be, huh?”

Dipper clenched his jaw, yet bit back a response. Bill didn't need to know that was a sore spot. Instead, he dragged the textbook into his lap and focused on the chapter he should have studied the night before. If Bill said anything else, Dipper had managed to completely zone him out.

The two remained like that for several minutes, with only the chirping birds and jumbled static of campus activity as their soundtrack. It would have stayed like that for the entire lunch period, if Dipper hadn't suddenly remembered something. Bill nearly slipped off his shoulder as Dipper cast his book aside and fished his phone out of his back pocket.

He searched for a contact, then held the phone to his ear and listened to it ring.

Crackly static interrupted the ringing, before a stern voice came through. “Hello?”

“Hey, Grunkle Ford!”

The stern voice instantly grew into a friendly one. “Dipper, my boy! So good to hear from you! How have you been?”

“Is that Fordsy? Tell him I say hi!” Bill floated up towards the phone, and Dipper struggled to push him down with his free hand.

“I've been good,” Dipper tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice. “Um, I'm sorry...Did I disturb you? How late is it there?”

Ford laughed. “Surprisingly enough, the Devil’s Triangle doesn't have much of a time difference from California.”

“Oh cool, you're at the...Uh.”

“Most people know it as the Bermuda Triangle. I’ll admit it's cliche, but there’s been some interesting readings in the area lately.” Ford paused and cleared his throat. “But I doubt you called just to hear about that.”

Dipper scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Is everything all right? You're still interested in picking up my old work, aren't you?”

“Definitely!” Dipper’s gaze trailed down to Bill, who was tugging at his sleeve like a petulant child. “It's...part of your old work that I called you about.”

“I see. Well, I have some spare time. What do you need?”

Dipper opened his mouth, fully intending to mention the demonic triangle he was currently trying to shake off his arm, yet something different tumbled out of his mouth instead. “Do you know who the Axolotl is? The interdimensional god, not the squishy earth amphibian.”

“Ah, yes. The Axolotl.” Ford sounded thoughtful, while Dipper could hear the creak of a chair as the old man leaned back.

“You know him?”

“Not personally, but he seems to have a presence in every dimension. Likely has a female persona in Dimension 52, as well. He has mind-altering abilities, so it's difficult to know what his full reach is, or if he's been encountered before.”

That potentially explained how Dipper could have met Axolotl before. He made a mental note of it.

“I wouldn’t worry about him. Axolotl is quite benevolent, as far as supernatural phenomena go. Why do you ask?”

“Benevolent!?” Dipper couldn’t stop himself from blurting out, “That pink monster barged into my life yesterday, threw Bill Cipher at me, then left! He’s hardly ‘benevolent’ at all!” A passing group of students stared at him, prompting him to lower his voice a notch and pull his hood up.

There was a long silence after Dipper finished his word vomit. Long enough for him to think the call had been disconnected.

“What!?”

Ford’s disbelief was so loud, Dipper had to pull the phone away from his ear.

“Get  _ rid  _ of him, Dipper!”

“I can't!”

“What do you mean you can't!”

“Axolotl said he's the one who brought back Grunkle Stan's memories, then he threatened to take them away if I didn't agree to this whole thing! That isn’t  _ benevolent _ , Ford.”

Ford was quiet for a minute, and when he spoke again there was a bitter understanding in his voice. “Their perception of kindness is much different from our own.”

“Bill said the same thing,” Dipper mentioned as said demon drifted up near the phone to listen in. He watched him, ready to tug the phone away if he continued to be obnoxious.

Ford sighed heavily, “What did you agree to, Dipper?”

/\\\/

Later that day, Dipper stood in the doorway of his math class. As he waited for the teacher to finish speaking with another student, he let his mind wander.

It took a long time to convince Ford that Bill was of no immediate danger to Dipper, and there was no reason to sail all the way to California's coast. His first five minutes with Bill proved that he wasn't going to get his face orifices rearranged, so at most he was holding a grudge. Ford, on the other hand, was rightly convinced that if Bill could weasel his way out of death, he could gain his full power back as well.

Picturing Bill tangled up in his jacket drawstrings, however, had Dipper unconvinced.

“Dipper?”

He looked up to see Mrs.Hernandez staring at him. The other student had slipped out of the room while he was lost in his thoughts, and now she was sliding a blank test across her desk. He sheepishly walked over and accepted it.

Before getting to work, Dipper popped his earbuds in his ears and turned up the music on his phone. He could feel Bill’s stare on him, could feel his displeasure at being so openly ignored. Dipper smirked, then focused on solving the first problem.

When he handed the test over, Mrs.Hernandez glanced at it and was visibly relieved. She didn’t take the time to grade it like she had that morning, but Dipper knew he at least had a passing grade. He thanked her again, pulled his backpack over one shoulder, and headed out the door.

Dipper took two steps into the hall, before a rush of rainbows and glitter crashed into him. A loud squeal erupted from his sister as she hugged him as tight as she possibly could, huffing as though she had dashed from the other side of the school to him. Knowing Mabel, that’s exactly what she did.

“Bro-Bro! I thought I missed you again!”

“Had to retake a test,” Dipper squeaked out, fighting to breathe against Mabel’s strong hug. She loosened her grip a bit, allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t you have that study group?”

“Nah, not really. Most of the testing is over, so no one is really showing up anymore.” Mabel grinned, still clinging to him. “Let’s hang out!”

“And do what?”

“Something stupid, duh.” She let go and playfully slugged him in the arm.

“With lots of property damage and potential injury!” Bill drifted up between them, gleeful at the idea of dumb hijinks.

“Oh, you let him out.” Mabel took half a step back.

“Mistakes were made.”

“C’mon, Shooting Star,” Bill perched on her shoulder and lounged back comfortably. “Pine Tree could use a break after all his failing.”

“Without the damage and injury, please.”

“No promises!” Mabel hooked her arm with Dipper’s before she pulled him towards the closest exit. His car was way on the other side of the parking lot, but he didn’t protest. Spending time with Mabel was the only thing he cared about then, and some extra walking in the heat wouldn’t hurt that.

When she turned to go right, however, he gently tugged her to the left in the direction of his car.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Any constructive criticism, comments, bookmarks, and kudos are greatly appreciated! For updates and potential art for the story (if I decide to not be lazy) feel free to check out my tumblr: http://hoennraccoon.tumblr.com/


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